Hold On
by strawberryfinn
Summary: [October Sky][Complete]. Roy Lee is abused by his stepfather, Earl Lee. Can Homer help him? R & R please! oneshot songfic to Good Charlotte's Hold On.


**NOTE**: I don't own October Sky or Jake Gyllenhaal or Roy Lee or anybody. I own this story though. I don't own Hold On by Good Charlotte. This story is about Roy Lee being abused by his step-father. If you are offended, I suggest you leave now. This story may look familiar, because I edited it and put the lyrics in.

* * *

"Which one of you is Homer Hickham?" the officer inquired.

Homer looked up, shocked.

Miss Riley marched to the front office.

"What are you doing with these boys?" she said, indicating Homer, Roy Lee, O'Dell, and Quentin.

"It doesn't concern you Miss Riley," the officer said.

"You have these boys in handcuffs!" Mrs. Riley yelled.

"Please Miss Riley," the officer protested.

"You have these boys in handcuffs in a high school!" Mrs. Riley screamed again.

"We think their rocket may have set a fire in the woods," the officer finally said. "We found a rocket on the side of the road near the woods and we didn't know where it came from, until this morning," he said, indicating the newspaper.

He led the boys out of the room. "Well boys, you're going to have to wait for your guardians to come and bail you out."

* * *

The first one to go was Quentin. Mrs. Wilson just walked in quietly, talked to the officers and grabbed Quentin, comforting him as they went to the car. Next was O'Dell. Mrs. O'Dell ran in, talking with the officers for awhile, and started out, talking to her son. Next Roy Lee's step-father barged in, swaying drunkenly, shoving Roy Lee out the door, yelling in his face already. Finally Mr. Hickham came to pull Homer out. They walked outside, quietly, until Mr. Hickham broke the silence.

"There are times I've been disappointed and mad at yaw," he started. "But this is the first time I've been ashamed of yaw."

Homer silently got into the car, hearing Roy Lee screaming from across the street where his dad was hitting him. He heard cries of "Dad, stop it!" and "You don't give up do yaw?" in between the sounds of flesh smacking against flesh.

"Homer," Mr. Hickham said quietly. "You get in the car."

He headed across the street, grabbing Earl Lee and slamming him against the wall.

"Son, you get in the car with Homer."

Roy Lee did as he was told, silently getting in, his chin quivering as tears trickled down his face, running into the blood that was coming from his mouth. Homer looked back silently at his friend, but turned away.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mr. Hickham was yelling at Earl Lee from across the street.

"If that boy's father was still alive, he'd kill yaw," Mr. Hickham yelled. "But since he's not, I'll have to do it for him. If I see that boy with a bruise, you get a scar. If he has a limp, you get crutches."

"Why do you care?" Mr. Lee shouted. "He's not your kid."

Mr. Hickham stared angrily at him, and stalked off.

"I'm gonna report yaw to the union!" Mr. Lee called out after him.

"I don't care about your union!" Mr. Hickham yelled back.

* * *

Inside the car, Mr. Hickham sighed. He turned around, looking at Roy Lee, crying silently in the back.

"Your father was one of the best men I ever had working for me. I was lucky to know him."

Roy Lee nodded, silently, the tears running down his face.

Homer had never felt so sorry for his friend. At least his father was still alive. Even though he hated his father so much sometimes, he couldn't imagine life without him.

Mr. Hickham started the car, driving towards his house.

_This world  
This world is cold  
But you don't  
You don't have to go  
You're feeling sad, you're feeling lonely, and no one seems to care  
Your mother's gone and your father hits you  
This pain you cannot bear_

* * *

After the afternoon was almost over, Mr. Hickham decided that Earl Lee's temper had blown over, and decided to drive him home. After they dropped him off, Mr. Hickham sat silently with Homer in the car.

Homer asked his father, "What if Roy Lee's not gonna be alright?"

"He can take care of himself," his dad answered. "Roy Lee's not a boy."

Homer didn't say anything, but he knew his father was wrong. Roy Lee was still a boy, even if he seemed tough on the outside. Homer knew he only tried to seem tough so that others wouldn't hurt him. It came from his step-father at home. Homer knew that Roy Lee would never be able to fight back against his step-father. It just wasn't in him.

_But we all bleed the same way as you do  
And we all have the same things to go through  
Hold on if you feel like letting go  
Hold on it gets better than you know_

* * *

At Roy Lee's house, chaos was broiling. Earl Lee stepped up to his step-son and backhanded him across the face.

"What did y'all say about me?" he ranted.

"Nothing Dad," Roy Lee gasped, cowering on the floor.

"Y'all such a coward. Y'all such a wuss. Y'all never gonna amount to anything yaw hear me? Now what did yaw say about me?"

"Nothing-"

Earl Lee shouted in frustration, slamming Roy Lee through the window pane. Roy Lee screamed as the glass cut into his neck.

"Nothing Dad," he yelped. "Nothing!"

Earl Lee was frustrated, at not getting anything out of his step-son. He decided to try a new technique. He grabbed a liquor bottle that lay nearby, shoving it down Roy Lee's throat, trying to loosen his tongue.

Roy Lee turned away, trying to spit out the liquor, but his step-dad wouldn't give up, shoving the burning liquid down his throat.

"Tell me!" his dad roared.

"Nothing Dad," Roy Lee managed to gasp.

His step-dad didn't believe him though, and tried again, pouring liquor down his throat. Roy Lee turned around and gagged, trying to spit it out.

Earl Lee roared in frustration and kicked Roy Lee in the stomach. Roy Lee doubled over in pain. Earl Lee continued to kick and beat his step-son. Roy Lee closed his eyes, knowing that this was only the beginning.

_Your days  
You say they're way too long  
And your nights  
You can't sleep at all  
Hold on  
_

* * *

Homer arrived at school the next day and noticed that the class was pretty quiet. He realized it was because the sarcastic remarks weren't there – Roy Lee was absent.

He asked O'Dell about it, and O'Dell said that Roy Lee was just sick.

"I don't know," Homer said suspiciously.

However, when nobody said anything, he continued with school, and let his dad know at the end of the day.

"Well Homer," Mr. Hickham said. "Earl Lee was at work today, so Roy Lee must be alright."

"Dad," Homer said. "I have a bad feeling about this. I think we better check it out."

"Fine Homer," Mr. Hickham announced. "We'll check on him after dinner."

After dinner, Mr. Hickham, Homer, and Jim got into the car, starting the ride to Roy Lee's house.

_And you're not sure what you're waiting for, but you don't want to know more  
And you're not sure what you're looking for, but you don't want to know more  
But we all bleed the same way as you do  
And we all have the same things to go through_

* * *

Roy Lee closed his eyes as his step-father walked in. He was bloody, beaten everywhere. His whole body covered in bruises. He was sure at least one of his legs was broken and so were his ribs.

"Get up!" Earl Lee said, swaying. He kicked Roy Lee as he stumbled to his feet, and laughed as he fell down, moaning in pain.

He picked up one of the liquor bottles, drained it, and chucked it at his step-son.

Roy Lee was too weak to do anything, and just tried to protect his body with his arms. He let out a pathetic whimper as the glass cut into his legs and arms.

"This is a son," Mr. Lee said, in a drunken voice. "Some excuse. You're pathetic! You're nothing! I don't know why your mother ever cared for yaw! Yaw don't deserve to live!"

Roy Lee tried to close his ears to the words that spewed out of his step-dad's mouth, full of hatred. But he couldn't help hearing. He tried to dodge as his step-father threw another bottle at him. He was seeing double, due to the alcohol he had been forced to drink last night. His head throbbed in pain, and the cuts added to it. He had been beaten before, but never this badly.

He knew he was going to die.

* * *

But as his step-father reached in to kick him again, there was a knock from the door. Mr. Lee swaggered to the door, opening it.

"What do y'all want?" he asked.

Roy Lee heard Mr. Hickham's voice. "I heard that Roy Lee weren't at school today. Just wanted to check on him to see if he's alright."

"Yeah," Mr. Lee answered. "Just feelin' sick."

"Can we see him?" Homer's voice called out.

"No," Mr. Lee answered. "He's sleepin'."

He slammed the door, and the three Hickhams were staring at a door.

_Hold on if you feel like letting go  
Hold on it gets better than you know  
Don't stop looking, you're one step closer  
Don't stop searching, it's not over  
Hold on_

* * *

"I guess that's that," Mr. Hickham answered Homer. "Roy Lee's ok."

"But Dad," Homer protested.

"But nothing!" Mr. Hickham yelled back at his son. "He's ok!"

Homer didn't say anything, not even when Jim threw him a sympathetic look.

They were about to get into the car when they heard a scream.

"No Dad! No! Don't hit me! Please!"

"That was Roy Lee," Jim declared.

They ran back up the path to his house. Jim wasn't the toughest linebacker on the team for no reason. He rammed right at the door, knocking it down, and the Hickhams barged in.

Mr. Hickham ran in, yelling, "Earl Lee, yaw drop yaw son right now!"

Earl Lee retorted, "What yaw gonna do about it?"

He grabbed Roy Lee by the throat. "If you step any closer, I'm gonna kill him. I swear."

He reached down and grasped a gun. "Don't think I won't." He cocked the gun and pointed at Roy Lee's head, while squeezing onto his throat harder than before.

Roy Lee gasped, moaning in pain. He knew he had to let the Hickhams get to him somehow. He pulled all the strength he could, and kicked his step-dad in the leg.

His step-dad cussed, and accidentally pulled the trigger, shooting Roy Lee in the shoulder. Roy Lee dropped to the floor and lay there, unmoving. Mr. Hickham took this opportunity to tackle Earl Lee, while Jim grabbed the gun, and Homer bent down near his friend.

"Hey Roy Lee," Homer whispered. "You alright?"

Roy Lee looked up, with fever-glazed eyes and passed out.

_What are you looking for?  
What are you waiting for?  
Do you know what you're doing to me?  
Go ahead...What are you waiting for?_

* * *

Roy Lee awoke in a white room. He looked up, and gasped in pain as his head throbbed. He lay back down, and tried to get up again, wincing as the pain returned. He looked around and saw Quentin, O'Dell, and Homer staring back at him.

"Well it looks like somebody decided to get up," Homer said, chuckling.

"We thought you were gonna die on us, just to make us all feel bad," O'Dell said, jokingly.

"Prodigious!" Quentin agreed.

Homer and O'Dell looked at Quentin, sighed, and looked away.

"So how yaw feelin'?" Homer asked.

"Not so good," Roy Lee said. "But cooler than Quentin by about 100."

Quentin pretended to be insulted, and laughed. Roy Lee was already back.

"So what happened?" Roy Lee inquired.

"Your step-daddy's in jail," O'Dell answered.

Roy Lee looked down, and let out a sigh of relief. "And what about me?"

Quentin, Homer, and O'Dell threw happy grins at each other.

"You're movin' in with me," O'Dell said, smiling. "Now, I don't want you changin' your name to Roy Lee O'Dell. You're still a Cook, got that? More like a kook."

Roy Lee gasped. He couldn't believe it.

"Hey bro," he said, hitting O'Dell on the back. Then he cried out in pain. "Wow! That hurt!"

But he grinned. A new life was opening up.

_

* * *

Hold on if you feel like letting go  
Hold on it gets better than you know  
Don't stop looking, you're one step closer  
Don't stop searching, it's not over  
Hold on if you feel like letting go  
Hold on it gets better than you know  
Hold on

* * *

Please review._

FiNnGrl


End file.
